Denver Broncos QB Peyton Manning has been playing injured for several weeks

By RYAN GORMAN

It has now been revealed why legendary Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning has not looked like himself for several games.

Manning played the final month of the season and Sunday's playoff loss to the Indianapolis Colts with a torn right quad muscle, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The revelation comes after a stunning one-sided defeat to his former team and quarterback Andrew Luck, whom the Colts drafted in 2011 to replace the aging icon.

The Colts infamously cut Manning shortly after the 2011 season, which he missed while recovering from multiple neck operations.

Indianapolis then drafted Luck, a college star at Stanford, and threw him right into a starting role as a rookie.

Manning has continued to compete at a high level despite being only months shy of his 39th birthday, but Luck's rise to stardom has been meteoric.

The Broncos signal caller struggled to answer if this week's defeat would be his last game, leaving many to speculate he has one foot out the retirement door.

Previous reports suggested Manning was suffering from a thigh injury while going 26 of 46 for only 211 yards and one touchdown, which came on the game's opening drive.

Manning hinted at the thigh but made no mention of the quad, which would severely impact one-time Super Bowl champion's ability to throw the ball since he is right-handed.

It is not clear how Manning tore the muscle because the Broncos have not publicly commented on the injury.

AOL Sports was not immediately able to reach team officials for further comment.

Peyton Manning - YDS and TD by Year FindTheBest